Closure operating mechanism



Feb. 7, J El BIERY CLOSURE OPERATING MECHNISM Filed Oct. l, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet J. E. BIERY F eb. 7, 1933.

CLOSURE OPERATING MECHANISM l, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct.

ila Il INVENTOR MTTOgNf/ff Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF-ICE; d

JOHN E. BIERY, F GRANTWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO FOSTER WHEELER COR- PORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CLOSURE OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed October 1, 1930. Serial No. 485,622.

This invention relates to closures and more particularly relates to operating mechanism for closures. y

The primary object of the present invention is to provide operating mechanism for closures which will permit the closure to be opened to any desired degree, will retain the closure in its open position and will automatically release the closure and move it to closed position when desired.

@ther objects, features and characteristics of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the closure operating mechanism of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, represents a member which may be an air or fuel conduit having an opening 11 therein. As shown, the member 10 is of rectangular cross-section, but may be of any other desired configuration. A closure 12 adapted to close the opening 11 is mounted in the member 10 and is fixed to a shaft 13 which is rotatably mounted in bosses 14 and 15 on member 10. Stops 16 mounted in member 10 are engaged by the closure when it is in closed position. Shaft 13 extends beyond the ends of the bosses 14 and 15 as shown, and on the end of the shaft which extends beyond boss 15, an operating lever 17 is mounted and is fixed thereto by a pin 18 or by other suitable means. Adj acent the outer or free end of operating lever 17 is a pair of spaced bosses 19 to which is pivotally mounted a pawl 20 by means of a pin 21. Pawl 20 is adapted to be swung on its pivot by a lever 22 extending laterally therefrom. Pawl 2O is urged about its pivot in a direction toward shaft 13 by means of a U-shaped spring 23 disposed between operating lever 17 and lever 22.

Mounted on shaft 13 so as to freely rotate thereon between the outer end of boss 15 and lever 17 is a ratchet 24, constituting an adjusting member. The ratchet 24 preferably comprises a hub 25, spaced arms 26 and 27 extending radially therefrom and an arcuate portion 28 having a plurality of teeth 29 thereon. The arm 26 has a latch engaging portion 30 which extends in a generally radial direction somewhat beyond the outer edge of teeth 29 and is provided with an arcuate camsurface 76 and a surface 75 which is adapted to be engaged by a latch member, presently to be described, to retain ratchet 24 in open position. Y

On the end of shaft 13 which extends beyond the outer end of boss 14 on member 10 is a closing lever 31 whichis fixed to shaft 13 by pin 32 or other suitable means and has a weight 33 which may be adjusted in any desired position on lever 31 by means of an adjusting screw 34.

Mounted on the side of member l0 on which ratchet. 24 is disposed and above and to one side of shaft 13 as viewed in Fig. 1 is an angle bracket 35 which is secured to member l() by rivets 36 or other convenient means, and secured to bracket 35 by bolts 37 is an angle bracket 38. A lever 39 having a laterally extending portion 40 at its free end and a pin 41 extending therefrom intermediate its ends is pivotally mounted to bracket 38 by means of a bolt 42. A latch 43 is pivotally mounted to the outer end of lever 39 by any suitable means, such as bolt 44, and has an arcuate slot v45 in which pin 41 on lever 39 is adapted to move to limit the pivotal movement of latch 43 with res-pectto lever 39. Fixed on the lower end of lever 43 as seen in Fig. 1 is a shouldered stud 46 and mounted so as to freely rotate thereon is a roller 47 which is adapted to engage the surface 75 of the latch engaging portion 30 to retain ratchet 24 in open position. The cam surface 76 on latch engaging portion 30 is adapted to engage the roller 47 on latch 43 to cam the latch 43 to the right as seen in Fig. 1 when ratchet 24 and closure 12 are yswung to open position to permit the roller 47 on the latch to engage the surface 75 and retain the closure in open position. A spring 70 connected to latch 43 and bracket-35 urges the latchV toward ratchet 24.

Mounted on a bracket 48 secured to member by rivets 49 or other suitable securing means in a position somewhat above and to the left of shaft 13, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2,

' is a solenoid 50 which is secured to the bracket 48 bybolts 5j-1; Solenoidj :50g has a movable core 52 which is provided with Aan Aaperture 53 adjacent its outer end. Core .52 of .the

solenoidis connected to lever 39 by means 13 ofV a link comprising anfey'eboltv54 V4andfa lthreaded'rod 55 connected togetherby'a turnbuckle 56. Eyebolt 54 issecured to'core 452 of the solenoid by means of a :bolt57 which passes through aperture=53 :inthe fouten-,end of the core. Rod 55 is conveniently secured "to the laterallyfe'xtending portion-40 of lever ,'39by alool-t'58. As show-mired '55 passes 'through-an Aaperture -59 in -bracket 35 fand nuts"-60 and 61 threaded on 4rod 55 at desired I points provide stops to limit axial movement 13065, Va suitable source "of electrical power 66 'andaswitchoanydesired type. [The lower 'edge v68'ofthe'outward-ly extending :leg of bracket 235;serves as. a stop to limit upwardor counter-clockwise movement .The operatlon as fflljowsi Closure-i212 fis moved Lto open "position byfm'eafns of lop-- -eratingilever v417"'w`hich :is fixed tc'rshaft Y Y onwhichfthe closure iXedlymounted. The ELOYfdegre'e to whi'chclosu're is opened is de- "terminedby the "position of operating lever 17 with "respect rto V`ratchet 24. ltatchet24 fis "freely *rotatable onshaftl and .itfis rapp- A'disengagjed paw/120 'from engagement with f'teeth "129 of 'the ratchet l2.4, ith'e'fratch'et' may be moved relative Ito operatingrlever-17 yun- Atil the desiredj adjustedfpositionis reached,

and pa'vvlL 205s 'pressed intogengagement with "teeth 29 by Ethe' spring 23.*?V After Ethe desired adjustment ihasfbeen made, v`gthe' operator movesfoperating 'lever I17 vlin" af'jcounter-clockcome'sfinto `engagement withfithe lower ledge *17 nears the,limitioits-movement onthe 43 and press the latch `a suiicient distance Y toward the right as viewed in Fig. 1, to permit the latch engaging portion to pass the roller 47 on latch 43, after which, the latch will move toward its operative position and therolgl'er 47 W-illengage the surface75 and hol'd the ratchet 24 and,v closure V12 in open position. lnfthee'vent switch 65 is in open v position and solenoidVv 48 is deenergized when theV V'closure .12'is moved towardopen posi#v tion, it is merely necessary toenergizethe solenoid by closing switch 65 'in order that latch 43 will be held inoperative position v Y and ,pawl 24and-the closure 12 will be retained in open lposition as previously `described. Vv'Closure 12 is shown in Adotted lines in Fig. -1 in one of its adjusted openpositions, the corresponding positions ofratchet "24and operatingha-ndle 17 are Shown in full lines and 'thecorrespondin-g' positionl of fclos- "inglever'l in dotted lines.

vswings lever '39 about its pivot 42 ina coun-- ter-clockwise direction and carries withlitsf V'the latch l43` which is thus-moved to inoperative position. This movement of `latch` 43` releases ratchet 24, and the weight 33-on closing vleverBl moves closure 12 Vto its closed Y tion of closure1j2 -andthecorresponding positions of ratchet 24, operating lever17 and 'closing lever 31`are shown in .dot and dash 'lines fin Fig. 1. lThe closure'remains in closed position until it is again lopened by 7f means of operating lever 17, andthe Avarious parts are caused to function Vas `heret ofo re y 4 l described to retain the closure `in open posi- Y jparentthat"after `4the'operatorhas moved! 'lleve'r 22 towardoper'atingflever l17 :and jthus f tion'andto automatically close it.

This v arrangement is applicable generally to any mechanism or device in'theoperation ofV which it is necessary or desirable to close a conduit or opening utilized for conveying .orlpassing gaseousfuels, either vapor or gas,

dueto the interruption 'ofelectrical current andis kparticularly Well adapted to ball mills vfor pulverizing coal A'to control the supply of'air delivered to the mill. vWhen utilized Y .for -this purpose, i it vI nay advantageously be 'employed to shut-ofi' the preheated air delivered to theV mill in the-eventlthe coal-dis. charge vfrom :the mill is Vsuddenly stopped,

fdu'eto failure of the eXhauster motorl tofunc- 43 will-be lin'itsextremeflefthandposition'a Vas seenfin Figglfwhich vIwillternuits "op-V erative position, 'and as #the operatinghandle tion, in order to jmill. f

avoid 4an explosion :in the 'The form of in-vent-ion herein disclosedzis to berconsidered a; preferred formonly 4and -it-'isunderstoodthelinvention Vis notI to'be'lim- What I claim is: A

l. A device of the character described, comprising a member having an opening, a closure for the opening, means for opening the closure, a latch having operative and inoperative positions and adapted to hold the closure in open position, a solenoid having a movableJ core adapted to move the latch to, and retain it in, operative position, a connection between the core and the latch, said connection having means for limiting the movement of the latch, resilient means connected to the core and adapted to move the latch to inoperative position when the solenoid is deenergized and means for closing the closure.

2. A device of the character described comprising a member having an opening, a closure for the opening, a lever connected to the closure for opening the closure, an adjustable member associated with the closure and adjustable with respect thereto and adapted to be connected in adjusted position to said lever, a latch for engaging the adjustable member to hold the closure in open position, means f1 for releasing the latch and means for automatically closing the closure when the latch is released.

3. A device of the character described comprising a member having an opening, a closure for the opening, a lever connected to the closure for opening the closure, an adjustable member having a plurality of notches and a latch engaging portion, means on the lever for engaging in the notches on the adjustable member, a latch adapted to engage the latch engaging portion of the adjustable member to hold the closure in open position, means for releasing the latch from said latch engaging portion and means for closing the closure.

fl. A device of the character described comprising a member having an opening, a closure for the opening mounted on a movable shaft carried by said member, a lever fixed to the shaft and adapted to move the closure to open position, an adjustable member mounted on the shaft and adapted to move freely thereon and having a latch engaging portion, means on the lever for engaging the adjustable member, a latch for engaging the latch engaging portion of the adjustable member to thereby hold the closure in open position, means for releasing the latch from the latch engaging portion of the adjustable member and means for closing the closure.

5. A device of the character described comprising a member having an opening, a closure for the opening mounted on a rotatable shaft carried by the member, a lever fixed to the shaft and adapted to open the closure, .said lever having a pawl thereon, a ratchet on said shaft and freely movable thereon, means for causing said pawl to engage said ratchet in adjusted position whereby the closure may be opened to an adjusted position, a

latch having operative and inoperative positions and adapted to engage the ratchet to hold the closure in open position, a solenoid for moving the latch to operative position, a spring for moving the latch to inoperative psition and means for closing the closure.

6. A device of the character described comprising a member having an opening, a closure for the opening mounted on a rotatable shaft carried by the member, a lever fixed to the shaft for opening the closure, a pawl pivotally mounted on the lever, a ratchet mounted on the shaft and adapted to move freely thereon and having a latch engaging portion, said pawl being adapted to engage the ratchet in adjusted position whereby the closure may be opened to adjusted position, a lever pivoted to the member, a latch pivotally mounted on said lever having operative and inoperative positions and adapted to engage the latch engaging portion of the ratchet to thereby hold the closure in open position, a solenoid having a movable core, a connection between the core and the second mentioned lever, means on the connection for limiting the movement of the second mentioned lever, means for energizing the solenoid to move the latch to, and retain it in, operative position to hold the closure in open positon, a spring between the core and said member adapted to move the latch to inoperative position and release said ratchet when the solenoid is deenergized, a closing lever, and means for moving the closure to closed position comprising a closing lever fixed to said shaft and having a weight adj ustably mounted thereon.

7. A device of the character described comprising a member having an opening, a closure for the opening, means for opening the closure, means associated with the closure and adjustable with respect thereto and to said first mentioned means, means for engaging said .second mentioned means for holding the closure in open position, means for releasing said holding means and means for closing the closure.

In testimony whereof I have aiXed my signature.

JOHN E. BIERY. 

